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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24897319">The moon is beautiful, isn't it?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshyDoki/pseuds/AshyDoki'>AshyDoki</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bullying, Depression, Fluff, Fluffy, Happy Ending, Human Gems (Steven Universe), Human Spinel, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kinda depressing sometimes, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Probably PTSD, References to Depression, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, a bit of sexual tension because teenagers, also spinel is bby, as well as the summary, bad boy!Steven, basically everyone is human, i'm tagging the happy ending because the tags are misleading.., it's about the things you'll need to know, not sure if there'll be a smut tho, pls protect her, pls read the first chapter, trigger warning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:08:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,254</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24897319</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshyDoki/pseuds/AshyDoki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>[HAPPY ENDING, just mentioning it because this summary is misleading.]</p><p>•月が綺麗ですね | tsuki ga kirei desu ne (The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?)</p><p>~”Thousands of dying flowers while under the moonlight, a single flower bloom tonight.<br/>If this evening you still don’t understand how I feel, then under the beautiful sky I’ll take my life.<br/>Don’t be sad over me because I’m still happy I got to be your friend even if this is the end.<br/>My love for you, even in the afterlife, will remain intact.<br/>Look up at the stars, not down to my scars.<br/>The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”~</p><p>----♥</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Spinel &amp; Steven Universe, Spinel/Steven Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Informations ♥</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hello, this 'chapter' will mostly be about the trigger warnings and such, I'd appreciate it if you don't skip this informative chapter! Thanks &lt;3</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So I know I already have another fanfic on going, but sometimes I just don't feel like writing it. So I decided to make another fanfic for when I want to write something else than the succubus one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anyway, this story will be mostly fluffy and will start to get angsty after some chapters. <br/>
I never wrote any angst in my life, so it will be a sorta practice book? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anyway, here are the <span class="u"><em><strong>trigger warnings:</strong></em></span></p>
<p> </p><ul>
<li><em>Swearing</em></li>
<li><em>Bullying</em></li>
<li><em>Self-harm</em></li>
<li><em>Depression</em></li>
<li><em>PTSD</em></li>
<li><em>Suicidal thoughts</em></li>
<li><em>Suicide attempt (don't worry, no one dies here)</em></li>
<li><em>Some hints of mature content but no smut (depends how the story turns out I guess)</em></li>
<li><em>I'll add more trigger warnings if needed.</em></li>
</ul>
<p>For each chapter, if there's triggering content, I'll warn you in the summary or notes at the start.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The story will contain 4 Arc with many parts in it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">The first arc will be mostly fluffy with some random angst in it. Here's the poem/summary for the first arc:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>~Thousands of blooming flowers while under the sunny sun, I stand there alone on my own.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>In this fine morning, you came into my life just like a summer breeze without any warning.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s get to know each other as we get closer.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You make me feel new things, but I don’t know what it is.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So for now, let’s look up at the sky and wait for the night.~</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">The second arc will have lots of triggering stuff, here's the 'poem'/summary:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>~Thousands of withering flowers while under the pretty sunset, you’re still not there yet.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>During this afternoon, I feel like I might break soon.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I wish I could be like her, but it seems like she already won your heart.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Is there still a chance, a chance for one last dance.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>As the stars come out, I’ll be drowning in doubt.~</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">The third arc is fucked up, also it's the same summary as the stories summary:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>~”Thousands of dying flowers while under the moonlight, a single flower bloom tonight.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>If this evening you still don’t understand how I feel, then under the beautiful sky I’ll take my life.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t be sad over me because I’m still happy I got to be your friend even if this is the end.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>My love for you, even in the afterlife, will remain intact.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Look up at the stars, not down to my scars.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”~</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>And the fourth arc will be mostly fluff and recovery:</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>~Thousands of growing flowers while under the endless sky, we’ll be smiling at the sunrise.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>On my way to recovery, I know you’ll still be there for me.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Without you by my side, I wouldn’t even want to be alive.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s hold hands until we make new plans.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A future together couldn’t make me happier.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I love you, and I know you do too.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh look, the moon’s beautiful!~</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I hope those 'poems'/summaries are good and kinda rhymes though, let's also hope it makes you want to read the story!</span>



Also, 'The moon is beautiful, isn't it?' is a Japanese way to say 'I love you'.


</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I love you guys, thanks for reading this informative chapter! &lt;3</span>
</p>
<p>Also, if you want to see some of my drawings (even some related to this AU), here's the link to my tumblr: https://ashydoki.tumblr.com</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Arc I ♥ Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nothing really interesting, Spinel is a new student in the high school.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>~Thousands of blooming flowers while under the sunny sun, I stand there alone on my own. In this fine morning, you came into my life just like a summer breeze without any warning. Let’s get to know each other as we get closer. You make me feel new things, but I don’t know what it is. So for now, let’s look up at the sky and wait for the night.~</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was around the end of the summer, autumn was getting closer and closer as some leaves were already falling off the trees. The chill breeze of the morning lightly blew through people’s hair, the birds chirping slowly vanished into thin air as the sun rose even higher, more people were coming out of their houses to go to work, or in this case, students going to school.</p><p> </p><p>We could see some teenager talking to each other, some more enthusiastic about going back to school than others. Some, on the other hand, were alone as they simply headed into their high school. </p><p> </p><p>In front of the said high school, there was a girl just standing there as she stared at the intimidating building in front of her. This girl had an interesting appearance. Her silky-like bubblegum-pink wavy hair put into two buns that strangely looked like hearts and her beautiful big bright hot-pink eyes gently reflecting the lights were the most catchy things about her.</p><p> </p><p>She had a nice heart shaped face with a cute small button-nose and plump peachy lips. Her tanned skin was a great contrast, freckles could be seen on her cheeks and on the bridge of her nose and her long eyelashes complimented her eyes. </p><p> </p><p>What was also the first thing people would see was her height. She was probably as tall as a seventh grader and would probably be confused as one if she wasn’t so curvy.</p><p> </p><p>The small teenage girl simply wore a white turtleneck lace dress that stopped to her mid-thighs, white lace socks that went up her ankles and pastel pink tea party shoes. As accessories, she had a necklace with a heart shaped jewel, small golden hoop earrings and a bow in her hair.</p><p> </p><p>Her backpack was black and had a design of kuromi with some cute stickers randomly placed on the bag. Her style was pretty much cute but nothing too extravagant that would give her unwanted attention.</p><p> </p><p>Her name was Spinel and she was sixteen years old, this year she was going to be a junior in Beach City High. </p><p> </p><p>Spinel gulped as she stared at the building, scared of going back to school after two years of homeschooling. Regret was practically written on her face as she wondered if it really was a good idea to have listened to her parents. They said everything would go just fine since they just moved in there and nobody knew her.</p><p> </p><p>She suddenly noticed she was in the middle of the way, some students didn’t care but some were annoyingly glancing at her as they had to change direction. Spinel felt her cheeks turn into a reddish color, finally deciding to start walking into the school. </p><p> </p><p>The small girl had to go to the principal's office first to get her schedule and locker number, so once she was inside of the high-school, she glanced around as she tried to look for a sign written ‘principal’s office’ or something along this line.</p><p> </p><p>Luckily for her, the office was near the entrance of the school and not somewhere buried between some hallways. She walked in the office, finding herself in another hallway, but this time there were nobody in it. Spinel knocked on the door with the word ‘principal’ written on it.</p><p> </p><p>There was a faint ‘Come in.’ muffled by the walls, the pink haired girl opened the door and closed it behind when she was in the room. “Hello, how may I help you?” The principal asked as he looked up from his desk, looking at the small teenager with a raised eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>Spinel took a deep breath before answering, “U-um, hello, I’m new a-and I’d like to get my l-locker’s number please.” she stuttered a bit but still managed to be coherent.</p><p> </p><p>The principal blankly stared at her for some seconds before having a look of recognition on his face, “Oh right, you must be the new student.” he said, mostly to himself, before opening a drawer and pulled out some papers in a fold. “Here you go, there is your gym and normal lockers number and combination, your schedule and some other papers for your parents in this fold.” The principal spoke up, handing the fold to the new student.</p><p> </p><p>Spinel nodded and got closer to his desk to gently grab the fold, “T-thank you, h-have a nice day..” she shyly said with a smile, to which the principal returned the smile back with a nod. “You’re welcome, enjoy your stay in this school.” The kind principal said before returning to his papers.</p><p> </p><p>The pink haired girl walked out of the office, thinking everything went pretty good for now. She decided to take out the schedule and lockers paper so she could put the fold in her bag. Spinel sucked in a breath before getting out of the offices hallway and noticed how there was less students than earlier, which made the small girl less nervous as she walked to her locker.</p><p> </p><p>Once she was in front of what was supposed to be her locker, she glanced at the paper once again to look at the code which was ‘69420’. In the locker, there were some of the schools book for classes with exercises in it. She grabbed the math and science book, shoving them in her backpack as her two first periods were Mathematics and Science. </p><p> </p><p>At the exact time she shut her lockers and locked it, the bell rang, startling the small girl. Spinel gulped as she realized she was late, but she thought it’d be okay since she was new. She began searching for her Math class but accidentally bumped into something, or more precisely someone, and to be even more precise a guy’s muscular back.</p><p> </p><p>Spinel muttered a small ‘ow’ as she heard the boy groan in annoyance as he turned around, glaring at the small girl. “S-sorry..” Spinel apologized as she looked up, her pink eyes meeting the boys brown eyes.</p><p> </p><p>The tall brown haired boy seemed to be in a bad mood, and being bumped into wasn’t helping either. He frowned at the pink haired girl before groaning as he turned around to continue his way to his class, not wanting to be even more late because some girl needed glasses.</p><p> </p><p>Spinel swallowed as she felt a lump in her throat, mentally cursing herself for being so clumsy. She quickly shook her head, it wasn’t the right time and place to start hating on herself as she was already late for class.</p><p> </p><p>Imagine her surprise when she saw the intimidating looking guy she bumped into entering the same room she was going to. Spinel walked in the class right after the tall teenage boy.</p><p> </p><p>“May I know why are you late the first day of school, Mr. Universe?” The math teacher asked with a rather annoyed tone, not noticing the new student behind the boy she was talking to.</p><p> </p><p>The teenage boy glared at the teacher and tried to speak up, but the teacher cut him off before he could even begin, “Waking up late is not an acceptable excuse. Go to the principal's office to get a pass and expect your parents to be called…” the teachers voice slowly died down as her gaze was now directed to Spinel, who was slightly raising her hand.</p><p> </p><p>“U-um, actually he was helping m-me to f-find my w-way to class.. S-sorry..” Spinel shyly said, lying for the boy as a sorry for bumping into him. The boy seemed surprised for a second before going along with it, “Yeah, maybe if next time you let me speak you wouldn’t make a fool of yourself.” he bitterly added, obviously still annoyed she didn’t even let him talk.</p><p> </p><p>The math teacher slightly blushed from embarrassment, “R-right, I apologize, Steven. You can go to your seat while the new student will introduce herself..” she said as she adjusted her glasses, some students quietly laughing at her.</p><p> </p><p>The boy named Steven rolled his eyes, glancing at the smaller girl one last time before walking to an empty seat, leaving Spinel alone in front of the class.</p><p> </p><p>Spinel felt some stares directed at her as she heard some students whispering, the teacher cleared her throat before speaking up, “Today we have a new student joining our high school. You can introduce yourself now.” she said, looking at the nervous Spinel.</p><p> </p><p>The pink haired girl nodded with a gulp, looking up at the class as she felt her cheeks redden up, “H-hi, my n-name’s Spinel. I-it’s nice to meet you all..” she briefly introduced herself, trying her best not to stutter.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright Spinel, I’m Mrs.Poulet, you can sit on an empty seat.” Mrs.Poulet said monotonically, obviously not really caring. Spinel nodded, ignoring the teachers lack of enthusiasm to have a new student as she walked to an empty chair, sitting on it as she tried to brush off the feeling of being stared at.</p><p> </p><p>The small pink haired girl pulled out her books and pencil case, now listening to the teacher as she began explaining the stuff they’ll be going to learn during this year. Spinel pressed her lips together as she realized she learned most of the stuff the teacher was talking about when she was being homeschooled, she sighed as she thought, <em> ‘I guess this first day of school won’t be that bad… I hope..’ </em>.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Spinels outfit drawing:<br/>https://ashydoki.tumblr.com/post/621552209913675776/im-going-to-write-a-highschool-stevinel-au</p><p>Thanks for reading this chapter!<br/>Love you guys &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Arc I ♥ Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There's some intrusive thoughts but they're not really triggering, at least not that I think so.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It might not be the case for the others, but Spinel thought that class went by relatively fast, even if it was boring. She simply took some notes and doodled around in her copybook during the math hour. Most of the students let out a relieved sigh as they heard the bell ringing, not wasting any time to get out of the class.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel got up from her seat and headed towards the door, being one of the last person to get out, she didn’t hurry that much. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She flinched as she felt someone grab her arm. It was Steven. He noticed her flinch, but shrugged it off as he just thought she was surprised. The pink haired girl hesitantly turned around, slightly calming down as she saw it was just the guy from earlier. “Um, h-hi?” She hesitantly spoke up, observing him with a slight confused look on her face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steven looked a bit unsure, but he talked nonetheless, “Er.. I just wanted to thank you for earlier.”. The brunette felt so weird for thanking someone that wasn’t his friends, he’d usually just not even try talking to anyone, but for some odd reasons, this girl was an exception.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>To say Spinel was surprised would be an understatement, she really wasn’t expecting this. This guy, who looked so tough and strong, came out of his way to thank her, a simple normal girl. The pink haired girls cheeks flushed into a gentle reddish color as she wasn’t used to this kind of recognition. “Oh.. It’s no biggie..” Spinel shyly said with a sheepish smile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, really. I was rude to you, yet you still helped me out, so, eh, yeah thanks.” Steven insisted, his eyebrows slightly furrowing as he watched her getting more flustered. Spinel gulped as she thought it’d be better to just comply as the bell was probably going to ring soon. “Y-you’re welcome.. But, um.. I have to go to class…” She timidly replied, hoping it didn’t come off as rude.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The brown haired boy didn’t know if she was intimidated by him or if she was genuinely shy, but the first thought still somewhat stung as he was just trying to be nice. “What’s your next class?” Steven asked, not showing any particular emotion on his handsome face. Spinel blinked when the strong looking teenager asked his question. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The small girl was getting a bit skeptical and suspicious, she couldn’t get why this guy was still talking to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She wasn’t special, she was as normal as a human could be, there was nothing interesting about her, she probably didn’t even deserve being talked to, didn’t deserve to be there, didn’t deserve to breathe the same oxygen astheothers,didn’td</span>
  <em>
    <span>eservETO</span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>LI-</em>
  </b>
  <span>“Science. My next class is science.” Spinel calmly answered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steven looked a bit amused, surely because he also had science class. Without replying, he began walking to the next class, bringing Spinel with him as he was still holding her arm. The petite girl was a bit confused, but she didn’t oppose him. She simply followed him, not wanting to be dragged since he was a lot stronger than her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They somehow managed to arrive in front of their science class before the bell rang. By the time they were there, Spinel already figured out he was taking her to their class, which she was grateful for since she didn’t know where it was anyway. The pink haired girl looked up at the brown haired boy, wanting to thank him for leading her to class, but it looked like he was already heading to his seat, leaving her behind. Spinel wasn’t sure if she should find it rude or not, but either way, she stayed quiet as she also walked to an empty seat, </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Right. He’s not my friend. I shouldn’t be upset.’</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought as she sat down, sucking in a breathe. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before any more intrusive thoughts came flooding into her mind, the teacher came in the class with a faint smile on his face. Looks like this teacher was pretty happy to be here. “Good morning class.” The science teacher spoke up as he placed the papers he had in his arms on his desk, now facing the class. Every students quieted down, even if some were still whispering, but soon, the class was silent. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, let’s get started on the first chapter of this year.” The teacher said when everyone was finally quiet. It was with that, that the science class officially started for Spinel.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel sighed as she closed her locker, swinging her backpack on her shoulder as she holding her lunch box in her arms. Yes, it was lunch time. After the science class, she had English and Biology class, which was also somehow Stevens classes as well. The petite girl didn’t know what to think of it. She was confused on why the brunette kept helping her, he didn’t specifically looked like that kind of person, and it wasn’t like he felt obligated to help her out just because she lied for him this morning. It was merely a simple gesture, something she’d usually do for anyone. It was no big deal, just as she said to him earlier.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel was trying to build up walls, not wanting to get hurt again, but it was complicated. No, it wasn’t because Steven was being nice to her or whatever, it was because she craved for friendship, something she lost during those past few years. She always liked making friends and such, and building up walls was something she had never done. Everything was so new, she just wished she could easily trust people again, but things changed, and it wasn’t for the better. How easy it was to talk about changing for the better when it wasn’t, and it will never be. Everyone made it look so simple.. but what if it was? What if Spinel was just so stupid she couldn’t even do that? What if she was the problem itself? What if-‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, right, lunch</span>
  </em>
  <span>.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel was so engulfed in her thoughts she forgot it was lunch time. Oh stars, how awkward it must be to just be standing still in front of a closed locker with a melancholic look on her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What a weirdo</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The pink haired girl was a bit apprehending lunch time, she hoped there’d be an empty table where she could sit at. It would be too embarrassing and awkward to just sit with a bunch of random students. She’d just make a fool of herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not like she wasn’t already a fool...</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She walked in the cafeteria, holding her breath when she saw how full it was. It almost looked like a cliché cafeteria from a high school musical. Spinel could very well see which table was ‘owned’ by who. The largest tables were full of students wearing cheerleader outfits and athletic looking teenagers, probably jocks. Yup, those were the tables to avoid if she didn’t want to be eaten alive. In Spinels mind, everyone around her were like big bad wolves while she was the only small sheep, one mistake could lead her to her own death. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pfft, what a ridiculous way of thinking</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Steven was seated with his three best friends. Even if he looked like a bad boy and was sometimes acting like one, his friends were all girls with different personalities, far from being bad girls at all. The tallest one was named Lapis Lazuli and had short blue hair with dark blue eyes. Her skin was tanned, but you could still see she used to have a lighter skin tone due to the tan marks. Her outfit consisted of a white tank top tucked in an ankle-long dark gray skirt and was wearing ankle boots with boot laces. She only had small earrings and an armlet as accessories and was seated next to a much smaller girl, named Peridot. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peridot also had short hair, but they looked puffier than Lapis’ and they were blond, with some small light green streaks. She wore an oversized green hoodie that had an alien emoji in the center, shorts, white socks that went up her calves and black sneakers. On the bridge of her nose rested glasses that looked too big for her but somehow still complimented her light green eyes. Some freckles could also be seen on her cheeks and she had a healthy pale skin tone. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Amethyst was also next to Peridot and was slightly taller than her. Her dark skin tone was a great contrast to her light lavender long hair, and she had big brown eyes. She was wearing a purple crop top that had slightly ripped hems, dark gray high-waisted shorts and a purple jacket wrapped around her hips, also wearing black sneakers. She wasn’t wearing any particular accessory, only some golden bracelets around both of her wrists. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The three girls were seated in front of Steven, and were talking about how their summer break went. The brunette was listening to Peridot rambling about how she spent most of the summer rewatching Camp Pining Hearts and how she’d never get tired of it. As he was still listening, he glanced around the cafeteria as he took some sips of his drink, quickly noticing the small cute girl standing near the doors with an uneasy look on her face as she was looking for a place to sit at. “Hey dude, are you even listening?” Amethyst asked as she saw Steven wasn’t even looking at them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh? Oh sorry, just got distracted.” The brunette replied as he turned back to his friends who were looking at him a bit strangely. The girl with blue hair slightly smirked as she calmly spoke up, “Distracted by the girl from this morning, hm?”. The two other girls giggled as they also noticed he was indeed staring at the pink haired girl. Steven groaned as he ran a hand through his messy curly hair, “Don’t get any ideas, she just looks ..lonely.” he mumbled as he crossed his arms.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Now that the girls were thinking about it, the pink haired girl did seem lost and lonely, surely because she was new to this high school. They looked at each other and nodded, as if they were thinking about the same thing, and they were indeed thinking about the same thing. “I think you should invite her to sit with us.” Peridot suggested before Lapis or Amethyst could propose the idea first. Steven stared at them for some seconds, “Are you sure?” he asked, making the three friends nod as an answer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stared at them for some more seconds before getting up, starting to walk toward Spinel as she just looked like she was zoning out. She seemed to have gotten out of her thoughts when Steven was standing in front of her. The small girl looked up at him with a small gulp, wondering what he was doing. “Uh, hi again..?” Spinel shyly spoke up as she felt like she was going to melt under his strong gaze, feeling a bit awkward.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The teenage boy wasn’t sure how to invite the small girl to sit at his table, that was simply something he never did. So, he grabbed Spinel by the arm just like this morning, making her flinch once again as he almost dragged her to his table while the three girls that were watching were just facepalming. Once the two were at the table, Steven sat down and looked at Spinel, seeing she wasn’t bulging, still confused about what was happening. “You can sit with us if you want to.” The brunette suggested, even if he was supposed to say that earlier instead of dragging her there first.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinels eyes slightly widened at his suggestion, surprised someone actually wanted her to sit with them. She glanced at the three other girls, thinking they’d be annoyed or something, but she was even more surprised to see they were looking at her with a welcoming smile. The pink haired girl was still a bit hesitant, but when she noticed Steven was also slightly smiling, she decided to finally sit down next to him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>People often talk about wolves in sheeps clothings, but maybe there were also sheeps in wolf’s clothings?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know that the narrator sometimes sounds rude about Spinel, but really, it's just Spinels intrusive thoughts (they're not always in italics). </p>
<p>I'm trying not to make everything too harsh for now since it's only the beginning, but as the story goes on, they'll probably get more and more triggering.</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter! Love you guys &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Arc I ♥ Part 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Spinel befriends Lapis, Amethyst and Peridot.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>[TRIGGER WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!]</p>
<p>THERE IS MENTION AND FLASHBACKS OF SELF-HARM AROUND THE END OF THE CHAPTER! (nothing too extreme but still.)</p>
<p>Enjoy the chapter &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As Spinel gently placed her heart-shaped lunchbox on the table, the blue haired girl cleared up her throat, catching her friends and Spinels attention. “Hi, I’m Lapis Lazuli, but you can simply call me Lapis.” She introduced herself with a calm tone before the two other girls also spoke up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“My name’s Peridot! Nice to meet you!” The blonde haired girl exclaimed, “And this girl next to me is-” but before she could introduce Amethyst, the lavender haired teenager rolled her eyes as she covered the small girls mouth. “Thanks sis, but I can introduce myself without your help.” The brown eyed girl chuckled as Peridot pouted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Aight’ so, I’m Amethyst, welcome to the squad.” She said before yelping, bringing her hand close to her chest as she looked at the blonde girl with an offended look on her face. “You licked my hand!” Amethyst exclaimed as the Lapis and Steven chuckled, also earning a small and quiet giggle from Spinel.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That was the only way for me to get your hand out of my face.” Peridot stated with a ‘hmph’ as she crossed her arms. “But that’s disgusting!” Amethyst whined as she wiped her friends saliva off her hand with a tissue, “Who knows where you stuck your tongue into.” she mumbled before frowning as she looked at Peridot and Lapis.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually.. I don’t even want to know…” The purple haired girl mumbled with a disgusted look on her face as Lapis and Peridot blushed while Steven laughed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I don’t get it…” Spinel shyly spoke up as she lightly scratched her cheek with her index, confusedly frowning as she tilted her head. The petite girl felt a bit embarrassed to know there was some sort of secret meaning in Amethysts sentences without understanding what it was. She bit her lip as she realized she must be annoying them with that question. Oh stars, what if they wanted her to go away and never talk to them eve</span>
  <em>
    <span>r aga-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lapis chuckled, “It’s better if you don’t get it, trust me.” she paused before continuing, “But for a bit more of context, me and Peri’ are in a relationship.”. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Indeed, we are.” Peridot proudly confirmed with a nod, not embarrassed about her sexuality since most of the students here, in this high school, weren’t exactly.. straight.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The pink haired girl blushed at the mention of relationship. Aw, such an innocent bean.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“O-oh, um, alright… C-congrats, I guess..” Spinel muttered, deciding to give up on trying to understand what was going on.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The three girls turned their gaze to Steven, who was calmly eating his sandwich. The brown haired boy noticed their stare and raised an eyebrow at them with a confused look on his face. “What?” He finally spoke up, starting to be creeped out by their consistent stare.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You still haven’t introduced yourself!” Peridot replied as she uncrossed her arms while the two other girls next to her nodded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steven wasn’t sure why they wanted him to introduce himself since the small girl next to him already knew his name, but with a sigh, he guessed it was best if he complied, fully knowing how scary these girls can be when they wanted to. The brunette turned to Spinel, “The name’s Steven Universe. Glad to have you here.” he spoke up with a faint smile, trying his best not to look intimidating.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sunkissed girl simply nodded as she kept her mouth shut. It was weird for her to suddenly have a whole set of new friends.. Were they even her friends? Either way, she wasn’t expecting anyone to be so nice to her on her first day without even knowing her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The pink haired teenager glanced at the three other girls, only to notice they were staring at her, as if they were waiting for something from her. It took some seconds for Spinel to realize it was her turn to introduce herself, “O-oh, um, I’m Spinel.. I-it’s a pleasure t-to meet you all..”.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The three girls brightly smiled at her, “Like Ste-man said, we’re happy to have you here with us!” Amethyst exclaimed as the two other girls nodded, making the small insecure girl feel welcomed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If Spinel could, she’d be tearing up by their kindness.. </span>
  <em>
    <span>pathetic, isn’t it? So sensible and emotional, everything someone would hate.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The small girl gulped at the thought and simply hid her self-consciousness with a smile, “T-thanks for letting me sit w-with you.” she stuttered a bit, but was starting to get a hang of it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome, that’s what friends are for.” Lapis calmly replied before drinking some water from a bottle. Spinel felt herself tearing up by her new friends kind words, but she quickly kept the tears inside as her smile became brighter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She actually had friends now, how wonderful! She almost couldn’t believe it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>…Hmm..</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel slightly shifted in her seat as she waited for the voice in her head to tell her something that’d ruin her mood, but for some reason, nothing happened. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That was surprisingly.. good. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel got pulled out of her thoughts as she heard the blonde girl speaking up, “You should probably start eating your lunch before the bell rings.” Peridot said as she noticed their new friend still hasn’t eaten yet.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! I wanna see what’s inside!” Amethyst exclaimed as she leaned forward to have a better view on the lunch box, which made the students sitting around the table chuckle at the lavender haired girls attitude.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel herself wasn’t sure what was inside of her lunchbox since her mother was the one who usually prepared her food when she was home and had the time to do so. The small girl slowly opened the box and unconsciously licked her lips at the sight of onigiris and biscuits. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah man, that looks delicious.” Amethyst mumbled as she stared at Spinels lunch, which gained the attention of Steven and the two other girls. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And it also smells pretty good.” Lapis added with a smile as Peridot tilted her head, “Onigiris? Isn’t that japanese?” she curiously spoke up as she looked at Spinel. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The pink haired girl nodded as she grabbed one, taking a bite before speaking up, “I used t-to live in J-Japan two years ago.” she quietly replied, not used to the attention she was getting from her new friends. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her new friends gasped in awe, “Wow, seriously? That’s so cool dude! But you don’t look japanese.” Amethyst exclaimed before Peridot nudged her, “That’s a rude thing to say!” the blonde girl hissed as the purple haired girl raised her eyebrows, “Oh, really? My bad dudette, didn’t know.”.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel quietly giggled, “I-it’s alright.. I-I’m actually born here, in America, b-but I lived in J-Japan most of my life.” she said before returning to eating as fast as she could, knowing it was soon the time for their next period.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The small girl felt herself flush into a pinkish color as she still wasn’t used to the attention. It was actually pretty nice to freely talk about herself, but she also didn’t want to come off as too self-centered, that would be bad if she was already annoying her friends with random stuff about her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Though, she couldn’t help but notice Steven was mostly just staring at her and listening without saying anything. She bit her lips once again, trying to shake off this weird feeling of being stared at. She guessed Steven just wasn’t as talkative as she thought. As soon as she thought about that, the brunette actually spoke up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s your next class?” He asked, still staring at her with his deep brown eyes. Spinel stared back for some seconds before looking through her backpack for her schedule. She slightly frowned as she couldn’t read what was on the paper before realizing with a gasp that she was holding it upside down, earning a chuckle from the boy.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once she finally read her schedule, she timidly looked back at Steven, “Um, I have P.E..” she said, almost in a whisper.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steven couldn’t help but laugh, “Sounds like we have all classes together.” the brunette noticed with a smirk, letting a bit of his bad boy charm slipping in. Spinel gulped with a faint blush on her cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I bet 5 bucks they’ll end up together by the end of the school year.” Amethyst whispered to the two girls as they were watching Spinel and Steven interact. “Hmm.. nah, I bet 10 bucks they won’t work out even if they’re cute.” Peridot whispered back with a shrug before Lapis chimed in too, “I’m not in the bet, but like some people say, opposites attract I guess.”.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before they could continue whispering to each other, the bell rang, which somehow startled everyone on the table. “You know what’s fun? We also have P.E!” Peridot exclaimed as she remembered Spinel and Steven saying they had Physical Education after lunch.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s great, we’ll be all together.” The tall boy said as he got up, running a hand through his curly hair as Spinel was shoving her lunchbox in her bag before also getting up from her seat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t reply, but instead, she simply nodded as she followed her new friends outside of the cafeteria. Now that she knew they had Physical Education together, she won’t be alone if there was any team sports.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The small group of friends talked a bit on their way before Steven had to part ways so he could enter the boys locker room. “I guess it’s just us, girls, for a bit now.” Lapis spoke up as she held the door open for the three other girls. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel felt uncomfortable as she entered the girls locker room. She didn’t liked the idea of changing in front of everyone, even if they were also girls. Fortunately, as she walked to her locker, the petite girl noticed there were dressing rooms, which some other girls were also using. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I’ll be right back..” The pink haired girl quietly spoke up as she grabbed her gym uniform before walking towards an empty dressing room, locking the door with a sigh.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lapis, Peridot and Amethyst looked at each other before shrugging it off, knowing some persons preferred more privacy than simply change in a room full of persons.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel took off her dress before neatly folding it and placing it on the small bench of the dressing room. As she reached for her gym uniform, her gaze turned to her arms. The pink haired girl bit her lower lip with a frown, staring at the old scars left on her arms. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If she was lucky enough, nobody will notice them, and even if they did, she’d just have to lie. But it wasn’t like they were that visible since the scars were a few tones lighter than her skin-tone and were relatively old.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>#~She cried as her bloodshot eyes looked at the razor next to her sink. Gulping as she grabbed it, staring at it while she panted.~#</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed as she closed her eyes, grabbing the gyms t-shirt to put it on.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>#~She brought the bladed tool against her skin, inclining it before sucking in a breath. She slightly squinted her eyes as she pressed the razor against her skin and horizontally moved it across her forearm.~# </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t help but gulp, now putting on the gyms shorts.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>#~She now stared at her first cut, her sight blurred by her tears.~#</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She slipped on her gyms shoes before grabbing her previous clothes, turning around to unlock the door.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>#~It stung.~# </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She took a deep breath as her hand gripped the knob before opening the door.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>#~But it also calmed her down.~#</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled as she saw her new friends were waiting for her, also smiling at the petite girl once they noticed her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t the time to remember the past.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Things will slowly get darker and sometimes brighter, just like a roller coaster.. but for now, let's dip a bit more into the dark side!</p>
<p>Thanks for reading the chapter!<br/>Love you guys ♥</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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